1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wireless networks, and in particular, to wireless networks that track the location and identity of wireless network devices.
2. Background of the Invention
Enhanced wireless 911 (E911) services help ensure that wireless telephones provide 911 call centers, or Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), with vital information necessary to locate and identify a caller in an emergency. To comply with E911 standards promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), wireless network providers will soon be required to track the location and identity information of all wireless callers, with the purpose of providing such information to emergency personnel when a caller dials 911 from a wireless telephone. The FCC's wireless E911 rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identity information in two phases. Phase I requires carriers to transmit a caller's telephone number and general location to a PSAP. Phase II requires carriers to provide more precise location information to the PSAP.
Under the FCC rules, wireless networks and the corresponding wireless handheld devices, such as cellular telephones, will provide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911 dispatcher. To provide a caller's identity, the wireless handheld device will furnish a mobile identification number (MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device. The wireless network and wireless handheld devices will provide the location of callers using a network-based location system (e.g., triangulation), global positioning systems (GPSs) within the handheld devices, or a combination of the two systems.
In emergency situations, quickly communicating this location and identity information is an invaluable, life-saving tool. Indeed, although the location and identity information is generally perceived as private information, the public policy behind the E911 regulations favors disclosing such private information in hopes of administering the aid a caller needs in an emergency. However, outside of emergencies, most wireless device users view their location and identity information as intimately private, and express strong reservations against involuntary and automatic disclosures of such information.
For users of wireless network devices, concerns over privacy are well founded, especially when considering the increasing convergence of wireless communication networks with global computer networks. Wireless networks are now routinely in communication with the global computer network, providing network users with expanded services such as Internet access through their wireless handheld devices. Through this same link, wireless network providers can provide third parties, such as advertising web sites, with the identity and location information that the network provider is (or will be) required to monitor. (As used herein, third party refers to a participant in a transmission other than the wireless handheld device and the wireless network with which the device communicates.) Consequently, third parties would be able to identify a network user and track that user's every movement. Although these third parties may claim that such information merely enables them to profile customers and to present more individualized products or services, a significant portion of network users would agree that such practices are a clear invasion of privacy, ripe for abuse.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical system architecture linking a wireless network 110 to a global computer network 112. As shown, wireless network 110 is in communication with a plurality of web sites 114 through global computer network 112, and is in wireless communication with a plurality of wireless handheld devices 116. Common examples of wireless handheld devices include cellular telephones, cellular telephones with text messaging capabilities, personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the Palm Pilot VII™, and interactive text pagers. To comply with E911 standards, wireless network 112 is also in communication with a PSAP 118.
When a wireless handheld device is in operation, wireless network 110 tracks the location and identity of the device. The plurality of wireless handheld devices 116 provide wireless network 110 with their identities, typically as MINs. For tracking location, the system could have individual location systems 120 in the wireless handheld devices 112, a network-based location system 122 within wireless network 110, or could use a combination of both systems 120 and 122. As an example, a typical network-based location system would be a system that calculates triangulation across cell sites or cell sectors. A typical example of a suitable individual location system would be a GPS.
In the future, because wireless network 110 will already be monitoring the locations and identities of the wireless handheld devices 112 for emergency purposes, network service providers will presumably attempt to capitalize on the mandated service by providing the locations and identities to web sites 114. Among other possible applications, web sites 114 will use the valuable information to direct targeted advertisements to the handheld devices 112. For example, web sites 114 may wish to locate wireless handheld devices near a retail store, and send those devices an advertisement encouraging the network users to visit the store. Although the wireless network provider and web site may view this exchange of location information as a legitimate business use, many network users would object.
Thus, in a wireless network that tracks the locations and identities of network handheld devices, the wireless network controls to whom the information is provided, and the recipient of that information ultimately controls how the information is used. As such, network users will understandably question their level of privacy.